NEW THIRD-PARTY TESTING PROVES TYPAR HOLDS STRONG AGAINST SURFACTANTS

NEW THIRD-PARTY TESTING PROVES TYPAR HOLDS STRONG AGAINST SURFACTANTS

The performance of a weather-resistant barrier depends on the material’s ability to maintain its integrity—no matter what comes into contact with it. Surfactants, which can be found in a multitude of commonly used construction materials, are one potential threat to a building wrap’s long-term performance. That’s why we’re proud to report that recent third-party testing shows TYPAR® weather-resistant barriers (WRBs) continue to beat the competition in surfactant resistance.

Conducted in June 2023 by an accredited third-party testing facility with ISO 17025, Miami-Dade, AAMA, and AABA certifications, the testing compared TYPAR BuildingWrap to Tyvek® and Everbilt® weather-resistant barriers when subjected to a common surfactant (dish soap and water). TYPAR outperformed both competitors across the board.

Before we get into the details of the testing, let’s back up for just a second to review the basics of surfactants to make sure we’re all on the same page. Surfactants, or surface-active agents, are contaminants that lower the surface tension of a liquid allowing it to penetrate deeper into the TYPAR building wrap material. They can be found in detergents, soaps, and other cleaning solutions used to power wash siding, making surfactants nearly impossible to avoid. Water-soluble extractives in wood, such as tannins and wood sugars in redwood and cedar, are examples of surfactants that contaminate the surface of building wraps. They can also be found in the bonding agents used in stucco. You can see how they can be difficult to avoid.

Surfactants promote the loss of water repellency, causing “wetting” of the building wrap surface. Once this occurs, water can more easily pass through the microscopic openings in the building wrap. Once moisture finds its way into the building envelope, it can threaten a building’s structural integrity, causing exterior surfaces to deteriorate. Bulk moisture intrusion can also support mold and rot that not only cause structural damage but also pose serious health hazards to building occupants. It’s important to note that some building wraps perform better against these chemicals than others.

In the recent study commissioned by TYPAR®, there were two different surfactant tests completed:

Test #1: UV & Weather Exposure

The first test subjected the surfactant-treated weather barriers to a weathering machine at a temperature of 75ºF for 48 hours, exposing them to heat and UV light. After 48 hours, both the Tyvek and Everbilt samples were brittle, although Tyvek only showed damage after a scratch test was conducted. TYPAR did not show any damage before or after the scratch test.

 

After being exposed to surfactants and subjected to a weathering machine for two days, TYPAR (left) did not show any damage before or after a scratch test, while Tyvek (middle) and Everbuilt (right) both became brittle.

Test #2: Moisture Exposure

For the second test, all three weather-resistant barriers were installed on a mock-up wall with leak detection paper installed behind them. The surfactant was sprayed onto the sample and allowed to sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, each WRB was cut to expose the leak detection paper.

  • The paper behind Tyvek had slight indications of changing from white to pink, indicating moisture.
  • The paper behind Everbilt had several pink areas, indicating moisture intrusion.
  • The paper behind TYPAR was dry, showing no evidence of moisture.

Leak detection paper was placed between TYPAR building wrap and a sheet of plywood, then sprayed with a soap and water solution. After 10 minutes of exposure to the surfactant solution, the test paper remained dry, demonstrating TYPAR's superior ability to withstand moisture intrusion with surfactant exposure.

Although it is never advisable to expose WRBs to surfactants, most will be exposed despite best intentions. So, builders and contractors need to select a wrap that is surfactant-resistant. Due to the vast amount of building wraps and moisture management products on the market, it is more imperative than ever to make the right product selections to design and build wall systems that perform to today’s high performance, durability, and moisture control standards.

TYPAR BuildingWrap, MetroWrap™, DrainableWrap, DrainableWrap Commercial, and our first self-adhered building wrap, TYPAR DrainableWrap Peel & Stick, are all engineered with a specialized coating that resists surfactants. There is additional long-standing third-party testing that was commissioned by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) showing that TYPAR resisted a power-wash solution, while Tyvek Homewrap failed, permitting numerous droplets to form and wet the underlying OSB. The complete testing report can be found here.  

Learn more about our products at TYPAR.com. Contact us to learn how our products not only stand up to today’s harsh chemicals and jobsite cleaning techniques, but set the standards the competition simply doesn’t measure up to.

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